318 A JACOBITE EXILE

“Can those boys you speak of write?”

“Not they, sir.”

“There might be a difficulty about a verbal message.”

“The guard will give it all right if he gets half a crown
with it; you need not trouble about that, sir. I will
have a man to meet each coach as it comes in. And now
we have arranged matters, sir, I will go with you to see
the house, and will send a sharp fellow down to-morrow
to make inquiries about the people of the place.”

When they returned the friends sat for a long time talk-
ing together. The suggested plan looked so hopeful that
they felt confident of its success.

“T think, Charlie,” Harry said, “it would be a good
thing for us to present ourselves to the Duke of Marl-
borough; then we shall see if he is disposed to take an
interest in us and help us. If he is, he will tell us what
had best be done towards getting Nicholson’s statement
made in the presence of some sort of official who will act
on it. If he gives us the cold shoulder we shall have to
do as best we can in some other direction, and it will be
well to have the matter settled if possible before we catch
the fellow.”

“T think that will be a very good plan, Harry. I know
where he lives. I inquired directly I came over. ‘To-
morrow morning we can go there and inquire at the door
at what hour he receives callers.”

The next day at eleven o’clock the young men, dressed
in their best attire, called at the duke’s. ‘They were
informed that the great man was at home, and would be as
likely to see them then as at any other hour. Accordingly
they entered, and were shown into an ante-room, and sent
their names in by a footman. He returned with a request
that they would follow him, and were shown into a library,
where a singularly handsome man in the prime of life was
sitting at a desk. He looked at them in some surprise.